iStockphoto/Thinkstock(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) -- A Charlotte, N.C., cop has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and two others are on paid leave following an incident in which a man was shot dead after getting into a car accident.

Officer Randall Kerrick told investigators he and his fellow officers were responding to a "breaking and entering" call from a resident early Saturday morning who said a man had been knocking on her door repeatedly but she refused to respond.

When they showed up at the scene, Jonathan Ferrell began running toward the cops. After a stun gun failed to subdue him, Kerrick shot Ferrell several times, killing him, according to the police report.

As it happened, Ferrell, 24, was involved in what was described as a "serious" vehicular accident in which he was forced to crawl out his back window. It's believed now he was seeking help instead of trying to break into the home where the woman called 911.

In a statement, the Charlotte Police Department said, "Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter," adding that the incident "has devastated a family as well as caused a great deal of sadness and anxiety in our organization."